Whatever comes to mind

It was right at the beginning of a mid-November trip to Costco. We went by the tables that were stacked with books - the kind that made nice holiday gifts. Of course, I had to check out what they had. Perhaps there would be one my daughter would like in her library - the kind with lots of pictures she uses for reference in her illustration work. Perhaps there were some of those, but I never saw them. Instead "Gem: The Definitive Visual Guide" by published by DK had my full attention. It was heading into my cart almost before I could flip through the pages. DK books tend to be exceptional visual treats loaded with terrific images. And the price was not going to break the budget. (It is currently listed on Amazon for $25.)

Gem is the typical large coffee table book size. At 440 pages and over 5 1/2 pounds, it is not a lightweight. Typically, gem books tend to go alphabetically or if they are jewelry focused, they tend to follow historical and geographical lines. I have no clue yet how the ordering of Gem was determined. (Perhaps when I stop just looking at the pretty pictures and read some of the text sections, I will eventually figure that part out.) The good thing about that so far seems to be that you can open just about anywhere and not feel like you have missed something. Perfect for the coffee table book which isn't usually given a front to back read.

Once nice characteristic is that it includes images and information of the rough gems along with cut gems and those in jewelry plus a bit of romancing the stone stories related to the gems. My impression of the contents is: imagine you have the best museum of gems, minerals and jewels and then a tour guide who knows it all - the technical data and the historical details and maybe some gossipy trivia to go along with it all. That is what you will find in Gem.

If you like books on gems, minerals and jewelry, or need a gift for someone who does, this is a must.